The invention relates to a dual clutch arrangement for a transmission comprising a first input shaft and a second input shaft.
WO 2009/021582 A1 discloses a dual clutch arrangement with a clutch housing that is connectable to a drive train co-rotating therewith, the clutch housing being designed as a clutch bell housing with a first friction clutch that transmits a torque between the clutch housing and the first input shaft when the first friction clutch is subjected to a compressive force, and with a second friction clutch that transmits a torque between the clutch housing and a second input shaft when the second friction clutch is subjected to a compressive force. The first friction clutch with a clutch disk pack is composed of outer clutch disks and inner clutch disks and is arranged at a radially outward location, while the second friction clutch, also comprising outer clutch disks and inner clutch disks, is arranged at a radially inward location.
The first clutch can be subjected to a compressive force by the first actuating unit that comprises a piston that is axially displaceable and co-rotates with the clutch housing so that the first friction clutch can transmit a torque between the clutch housing, i.e. the drive train, and the first input shaft. Similarly, a second actuating unit for the second friction clutch is provided.
The dual clutch arrangement can be used for an automated dual clutch transmission in a motor vehicle. An important design criterion in the vehicle is the installation space required by such a dual clutch transmission. In a motor vehicle with a transversely mounted engine and correspondingly transversely mounted transmission the axial length of the transmission and therefore also of the dual clutch arrangement should be as short as possible.
In the dual clutch arrangement of WO 2009/021582 A1, the first actuating unit and the second actuating unit are located at a side of the two radially nested friction clutches and which side face away from the drive train, and the actuating units subject the clutch disk packs of the friction clutches to a compressive force by the respective pistons of the actuating units from that side facing away from the drive train.
The arrangement of the two actuating units on one side of the friction clutches, however, necessitates a complex and complicated design of the actuating units with a high number of different component parts.
Also, from EP 1 195 537 B1 a dual clutch arrangement for a dual clutch transmission is known in which a first friction clutch and a second friction clutch that is not nested with the first friction clutch are provided, wherein both friction clutches are provided side by side. However, due to the friction clutches being axially arranged side by side reduction in the axial length of the transmission finds its limit.